My Adventures in the Lone Star State

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Seven Lone Star Summits

I stood at the top of Texas for the very first time four years ago. In search of my next adventure, I had researched Guadalupe Peak and then set off to solo hike to the summit on a cold December morning. And what an amazing adventure it was!

I summited Guadalupe Peak a second time and then a third time after bushwhacking to the summit of El Capitan. Since I was in the neighborhood and so close to the peak, a buddy and I decided to go for the peak, a third summit for both of us.

This month, I led a group of men and boys from my church to Guadalupe Mountains National Park to do something hard. We drove six-hundred and fifty miles for the opportunity to stand at the top of Texas.

In preparation, I had told the group that hiking Guadalupe Peak is hard. The hike along the steep and winding trail to the top is rated as strenuous. I knew for a fact that it would not be any less strenuous for me on my fourth bid.We met at the trailhead at 6:30 in the morning while temperatures were still tolerable. Huge amounts of excitement swirled in the morning breeze and mixed with bits of anxiety as we waited like race cars with engines revved high.

We took a moment to share final thoughts about our adventure, we prayed, and then we hit the trail. Every guy knew that the first mile and a half would be the hardest because of the steep elevation gain.Like a brick wall, the first mile and a half stop those who are either unprepared or don’t want to summit badly enough. This is where we have to decide whether we are willing to push past the pain.

The heat only added to the difficulty. As the morning wore on the temperatures continued to creep higher until they inched past the hundred degree mark. Our bodies craved hydration and electrolytes and power bars.Every man and boy quickly settled into his respective rhythm as they trudged up the trail, slowly eating away at the elevation. My hiking mantra on this particular trail is pace and place — maintain a steady pace and watch where I place my feet.

Every one of the guys hiked his own hike and just past mid-morning, we began to populate the summit and feast on the amazing views. I felt just as excited as the day on which I first solo hiked to the top of Texas.Standing at the summit of Guadalupe Peak with an amazing band of brothers was worth every hard step along the way. This is something we did together — a shared adventure, a reminder that we must do life in community with other men because alone is dangerous.One thing is certain, the guys on this adventure will always share a special bond. We made it to the top of Texas on one of the hottest days of the year. We watched out for and encouraged one another. We enjoyed great fellowship. And we did it as a band of brothers.

If you are in search of adventure and in good physical condition, consider a trek to the top of Texas. This is one of the coolest bucket-list adventures in the Lone Star State. Although the hike is hard, the reward is worth it. Do your research. Hike prepared. Push past the pain. Enjoy the view.

El Capitan, the signature peak of Guadalupe Mountains National Park, rises a modest 8,085 feet above sea level — just enough to make it part of an elite group of Lone Star peaks that are higher than 8,000 feet. I first became acquainted with El Capitan when I traveled to the park in 2014 to solo hike to the summit of Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas.El Capitan is a ruggedly handsome peak from all angles. And, because of its prominent place, it is likely the most photographed peak in the Guadalupe Mountains. But after seeing this limestone bulwark from the summit of Guadalupe Peak, I was both intimidated and motivated. I knew then that I had to one day bushwhack my way to the top of this mountain.

This past week Doyle Lowry, my hiking buddy, and I met at the national park for a week of cold weather camping and to hike to the summit of El Capitan. Doyle and I had previously made a pact to summit all of the 8,000-foot peaks at the national park. El Capitan would be our fourth peak but far from the easiest since there is no trail to the summit.

We departed our campsite at a little after 7:00 AM and made our way up the Guadalupe Peak Trail. The National Park Service has rated this hike as strenuous because the trail steadily rises 3,000 vertical feet along the way. They are not kidding when they say strenuous. Be prepared to feel the burn in your legs.Just shy of making the final switchbacks to the top of Guadalupe Peak, we left the trail and started toward El Capitan. Since there is no trail to El Capitan, we selected a prominent landmark and bushwhacked our way to the western edge of the bulwark. This made the hike up Guadalupe Peak Trail seem like a walk in the park (no pun intended). They call it bushwhacking for a reason.Once we reached the western edge, we picked new landmarks and slowly pushed our way through the brush and scrambled around and over boulders toward the summit. The views from this side of the mountain are beyond spectacular and looking down the sheer cliffs is stomach-churning. Even though our progress was slowed by all of the brush, scree, and boulders, we could tell we were making progress.We lost and gained elevation several times along the undulated way to the summit. As we neared the summit we also contended with snow on the ground and high winds. Finally, after more than two hours of bushwhacking, the summit came into view — and it was indeed beyond spectacular. We stood at the pinnacle of this intimidating peak and breathed in the most amazing views.Before making our way back down, Doyle located the ammo box containing the summit log and we both signed our names in the book. There were very few names in the book, and understandably so. If you want to stand on the peak of El Capitan you have to be a little crazy and a whole lot determined. As Doyle pointed out, what we both lacked in youth and endurance we made up for in grit and determination.After enjoying a few minutes on the summit, we started bushwhacking our way back toward the Guadalupe Peak Trail. This time we opted to do the final push along a dry ravine filled with boulders and scree — either that or battle the thick brush again. But, hard as it was, we finally reconnected with the Guadalupe Peak Trail.Once we reached the trail, we decided to make our way to the summit of Guadalupe Peak — a third summit for each of us. From there we looked northward toward Shumard Peak and Bartlett Peak, two more of the 8,000+ foot peaks that we hope to summit next year. We started our descent by 4:30 PM. What had previously taken us far less than two hours to hike took us two and a half hours because we had to hike in the dark and had to hike slow because of the snow and ice on the trail.Finally, after 11 hours and 43 minutes on the trail, we reached the Pine Springs campground and entered our time into the hiker’s registry. We are beyond elated at our accomplishment. Not a bad day for two old guys who hear the clock ticking and want to get in as many adventures as possible while it is still possible. For me, bushwhacking to El Capitan is officially the hardest day hike I have ever done — and the most rewarding. And hiking with a good friend who loves the outdoors is always a bonus! Already looking forward to our next adventure at Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

Six of the seven named peaks in Texas that are more than 8,000-feet in elevation are located in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Of these six, three are accessible by steep and rocky trails — Guadalupe Peak, Bush Mountain, and Hunter Peak. The others can only be reached by those intrepid enough to bushwhack their way across rugged terrain with topo map and compass in hand.On my recent visit to Guadalupe Mountains National Park, my friend Doyle Lowry and I decided to start our quest to summit all seven peaks by hiking to the top of the three peaks accessible by trail. Now, just because these peaks are accessible by trail does not necessarily make them an easy win. Quite the contrary!After reaching the top of Guadalupe Peak, we set our sights on summiting Bush Mountain and Hunter Peak in one long day of hiking. The Bush Mountain hike is a 13-mile roundtrip hike that is rated as hard and recommended for very experienced adventurers. The Hunter Peak trail is rated as difficult and adds a few more miles to the hike.Doyle and I set off from our base camp at Pine Springs Campground as soon as the sun came up. We followed the winding Tejas Trail toward the junction of the trailhead to Bush Mountain and Hunter Peak. The Tejas Trail slowly winds its way up the mountain and features long inclines and gentle switchbacks that lead to ever-increasing elevations.After several miles of hiking we reached the Bush Mountain trailhead and turned left toward Bush Mountain. The trail to the summit loses and gains in elevation but finally leads to what we found to be the least spectacular of our summits. No matter. We took a quick photo, checked it off our list, and retraced our steps to the junction of the Bush Mountain Trail, Tejas Trail, and the Bowl Trail.After a ten-minute nutrition break at the trail junction, we set off on the Bowl Trail until we reached the intersection of the trail that leads to Hunter Peak. This was by far one of our very favorite hikes. The area is absolutely beautiful. But, like the other trails leading to the summits, the trail led increasingly upwards.Finally, Hunter Peak came into view. When we reached the summit we were rewarded with much more than we expected. The views from Hunter Peak have to be the most beautiful in the park. Absolutely magnificent views in every direction. From the summit we could see all of the other peaks in the park as well as hundreds of miles toward the distant horizons.We started our descent a little after mid-afternoon and slowly made our way back to base camp, stopping along the way to take more photos. We reached the lower portions of Tejas Trail as the sun disappeared over the peaks and finished our hike in the dark. All in all, we spent 9.5 hours on the trails and returned to camp tired but excited about our day.Guadalupe Peak gets lots of attention at the park and understandably so. After all, it is the highest point in Texas. However, the views from Hunter Peak rival if not exceed those from Guadalupe Peak (at least in our estimation). So, if you set your sights on Guadalupe Peak, make it a point to spend an extra day and hike up to Hunter Peak. I promise that you will not be disappointed.

There is something about high places that beckons — that invites us to venture upwards to behold new vistas. Now, I am a flat-lander born and raised. Grew up in a place so flat that a fellow could see his dog running away for three days and maybe four if he stood atop a tuna fish can. No need for topo maps in my neck of the woods because there are no high places there.That may explain why I am drawn to the hillier parts of our state that actually have contours that draw eyes upward toward the sky. The sight of hills and mountains, modest as they may be in the Lone Star State, just make me smile and nod my head in agreement with God’s handiwork. I love all of the geography within the borders of our distinctively shaped state, especially places where the geography slopes upwards.On December 2, 2014, I set off on my most aggressive upwards adventure — one that would take me to elevations far beyond those reached on any of my hikes in the magnificent Texas Hill Country. Early that chilly morning, I took my first steps toward the summit of Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas. After a pretty strenuous hike with lots of elevation gain and upwardly inclined switchbacks, I reached the summit — 8,749 feet.Standing at the highest point in the Lone Star State was amazing. I could almost see my front porch from there, and my dog! On that particular day I had the top of Texas all to myself. I spent half an hour just drinking in the views like a parched man trying to satisfy a thirst. Every direction I turned, the vast views poured into me and refreshed me in ways I cannot explain.

Since then, I have learned that there are seven named peaks in the Lone Star State that rise more than 8,000-feet into the Texas sky. These seven peaks are a bucket list unto themselves, even for a flat-lander like me. In order of height, they are:

• Guadalupe Peak | 8,749 feet | Guadalupe Mountains
• Bush Mountain | 8,631 feet | Guadalupe Mountains
• Shumard Peak | 8,615 feet | Guadalupe Mountains
• Bartlett Peak | 8,508 feet | Guadalupe Mountains
• Mount Livermore | 8,378 feet | Davis Mountains
• Hunter Peak | 8,368 feet | Guadalupe Mountains
• El Capitan | 8,085 feet | Guadalupe MountainsThis past week, I returned to Guadalupe Mountains National Park with my friend Doyle Lowry to hike to the top of three of the peaks — Guadalupe, Bush, and Hunter. My second hike to the top of Texas was as tough as the first time. But, the reward was every bit as satisfying. The other two peaks were also amazing. More about that in another post.Hiking up trails that make your legs burn and cause you to stop often along the way to breathe deeply is therapeutic. And the views along the way are like a soothing balm that keeps you putting one foot in front of the other.If you enjoy hiking in the Lone Star State, then consider taking a trip out west to where the northern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert meets the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains. It’s a fascinating and beautiful place. But, be warned and be prepared! The seven Lone Star summits will beckon you toward the top of Texas.

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Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas, is located where the northern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert meets the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains.

Rising a modest 8,750 feet above sea level, Guadalupe Peak is not high compared to other peaks in the world. And, it’s not even considered the signature peak of the Guadalupe Mountain range. That designation belongs to the massive 8,085-foot high limestone bulwark known as El Capitan.Guadalupe Peak is, however, the highest place you can go in the Lone Star State — and that alone makes the strenuous hike to the top worthwhile.I started my journey to the highest point in Texas long before I packed my gear. Before venturing to the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, I read everything I could find on Guadalupe Peak and watched several YouTube videos posted by hikers who had made the trek to the top of the mountain. I also studied trail maps to get a better understanding of the trail and its many switchbacks.

When I arrived at the park I checked in at the park office and chatted with the rangers about the hike. I spent the night at the campground and was up before sunrise the following day. I filled my hydration pack, tossed some Cliff Bars into my pack, grabbed my trekking pole and headed for the trailhead.The trail to the top of Guadalupe Peak is just over four miles, but it’s all uphill. The National Park Service has rated this hike as strenuous because the trail steadily rises 3,000 vertical feet along the way. They are not kidding when they say strenuous. It was very strenuous.The first mile and a half of the hike is the toughest because of the drastic elevation gain. Hiking this section of the trail is like climbing uneven stairs for a mile and a half. After that point, the trail has lots of switchbacks that steadily take you higher and higher into these mountains that were once the stronghold of Mescalero Apaches.The trail to the top go Guadalupe Peak is absolutely breathtaking. The final section of the trail offers a fantastic view of the backside of El Capitan and the surrounding country. After 2 hours and 50 minutes, I hiked the final switchback to the top and shouted for joy when I saw the marker at the top of the peak.

There are no words to describe what I felt when I reached the highest point in Texas. I was a kid again. I spent about 30 minutes at the summit — enjoying the view and the solitude.

On the way down I met a guy named Chet, the only other person who hiked to the summit on that day. We had a nice conversation and thought it was cool that he and I were the only two human beings on the face of the earth who stood on the highest point in Texas on December 2, 2014.I smiled all the way down the mountain and logged a round-trip time of 5 hours and 40 minutes. Not bad for a 58 year-old guy who is still wild at heart. Standing on the highest point in Texas was an experience I will never forget. Hiking to the highest point in Texas should definitely be on the bucket list of any able-bodied Texas adventurer.